Holt County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to O'Neill, Atkinson Township and Atkinson
No data center or power plant project is on record in Holt County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Holt County is home to O'Neill, Atkinson Township, Atkinson and Grattan Township. Construction employs 199, up 24.4% since 2019. 0 MW has retired here since 2019, including Stuart (NE) (petroleum, 0 MW, 2023). Its power plants have 402 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind, the 9th largest fleet in Nebraska. Unemployment was 1.9% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Holt County
Holt County is home to O'Neill, Atkinson Township, Atkinson and Grattan Township.
And 2 smaller places.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Holt County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,095 | 10,067 | ▼ 0.3% | 26th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,434 | 4,344 | ▼ 2.0% | 62nd of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,451 | $49,996 | ▲ 33.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 160 | 199 | ▲ 24.4% | 12th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 37 | 26 | ▼ 29.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 1.9% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 4,344 jobs in 2025, down 2.0% from 2019. Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Holt County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. 10,067 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 26, down 29.7% since 2019 against up 17.5% statewide, at an average $44,407 a year.
Who powers Holt County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −0 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Holt County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 73,650 | 10.63¢ | 28% |
| Elkhorn Rural Public Pwr Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 6,146 | 9.41¢ | 11% |
| KBR Rural Public Power District | — | — | — | — | — |
| Niobrara Valley El Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Central Public Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Stuart - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 98% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 400 MW | 100% |
| Petroleum | 1 MW | 0% |
| Natural gas | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grande Prairie Wind Farm | BHE Renewables, LLC | Wind | 400 MW | 2016 |
| Stuart (NE) | City of Stuart - (NE) | Natural gas | 2 MW | 1952 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart (NE) | Petroleum | 0 MW | 2023 |
The Holt County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,344 | $49,996 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 199 | $58,472 | 0.86 |
| Electrical contractors | 26 | $44,407 | 0.83 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Holt County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Holt County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Garfield County.
Holt County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Holt County, Antelope County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holt County | 10,067 | ▼ 2.0% | 402 MW | — | — | — |
| Antelope County | 6,352 | ▲ 0.2% | 818 MW | — | — | — |
| Boyd County | 1,674 | ▼ 9.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Garfield County | 1,710 | ▼ 3.5% | 4 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Keya Paha County | 792 | ▲ 2.9% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 8,335 | ▲ 0.3% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
| Loup County | 570 | ▼ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Rock County | 1,259 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Wheeler County | 789 | ▲ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Holt County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Holt County, Nebraska?
7 utilities have service territory in Holt County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Elkhorn Rural Public Pwr Dist, KBR Rural Public Power District, Niobrara Valley El Member Corp. The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Holt County?
2 operating plants with 402 MW of capacity. The largest is Grande Prairie Wind Farm (400 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Holt County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Holt County.
Is Holt County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,344 jobs in 2025 against 4,434 in 2019 (-2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 160 to 199.
Does Holt County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Holt County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.